How did House get to be a cripple?

Answer 1

House, the main character in the TV show "House," became a cripple due to an infarction in his right thigh muscle, which was misdiagnosed as a muscle infection. This led to muscle death and subsequent muscle death, causing severe pain and disability. House's refusal to undergo proper treatment resulted in further complications, ultimately leading to his reliance on a cane for mobility.

Answer 2

The Season 1 episode "Three Stories" explains this in more detail, but essentially he had an infarction in his leg, resulting in the death of a considerable amount of muscle tissue.

He's not actually crippled per se, as in several episodes he's been shown to get along just fine without his cane when the pain is successfully managed (once he had temporary relief due to treatment with ketamine, once while on methadone).